Low-Carb Diets and Electrolytes
When you transition to a low-carb diet, such as the keto or carnivore diets, you may experience the “keto flu” and not know why it’s happening, or what to do about it. The “keto flu” can make transitioning to a low-carb diet miserable. There’s a transition period that may last anywhere from a few days to several weeks and there are reasons behind this and ways to support you feeling better. When you are eating the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), your diet consists of many carbohydrates in the form of breads, pastas, muffins, cereals, sugar, soda, chips and other highly processed foods. When you drop the carbs, your kidneys will release water and sodium, resulting in rapid weight loss, more frequent urination and an imbalance of electrolytes. Your liver also responds to your new lower levels of insulin by converting fat into ketones, which will be your new energy currency taking the place of glucose (sugar). During this transition period, your brain and other organs in your body are slowly adapting to your new fuel source and with that may come some temporary negative side effects.
Common Keto & Carnivore Flu Symptoms
Fatigue
Brain Fog
Nausea
Sugar Cravings
Moodiness
Muscle Cramps
Dizziness
Ways to Mitigate the “Keto Flu”
Your body will eventually adapt on its own, but why suffer through the low-carb transition period? The first remedy is to balance your electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals and are vital to your overall health. They’re responsible for regulating nerve and muscle function (hence the muscle cramps), maintaining fluid balance (hence the kidneys), rebuilding damaged tissues, and moving water and fluids around the body. There are four electrolytes: sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. When one is out of balance, such as sodium due to the kidneys releasing fluids, they all fall out of balance.
Sodium:
Sodium is essential to our health. Fatigue, headaches, feeling weak and having poor cognition may be signs of a sodium deficiency. Many people confuse sodium and salt. Salt contains sodium and chloride. So, 1 gram of salt does not equal 1 gram of sodium. There’s about 400 milligrams of sodium in 1 gram of salt. We lose sodium through sweat, urine, and drinking too much coffee. When starting a low-carb diet, it’s very important to replace this lost sodium and a great place to start is between 3-6 grams of sodium a day. In order to consume 5 grams of sodium a day, that’s 2 1/4 teaspoons of salt. An easy way to make sure you are getting this amount is to place that amount in a small bowl and use it in your water and liberally on your food throughout the day.
Calcium:
Calcium is essential for bone health, blood clotting and muscle contractions. Most of us are not getting enough through our diet. The best sources of calcium are sardines (with the bones), cheese (parmesan has the most), yogurt, butter and sea salt. Calcium needs both vitamin K2 (in cheese as well) and vitamin D to be easily absorbed in your body. Your body absorbs the calcium from dairy much more easily than from plant-based foods. If you are dairy-free, focus on seafood. The RDA recommends 1200mg of calcium for women over 50 and 1000mg for men over 50. You may need to supplement if you cannot get enough from your diet.
Potassium:
Potassium and sodium try to maintain a balance, so when you are low in sodium your kidneys will try to reabsorb more sodium while excreting potassium. If you’re deficient in potassium, you may experience muscle cramps and twitching. On a low-carb diet, such as the keto and carnivore diets, you can aim for 3-4.8g of potassium. Some excellent low-carb sources of potassium include chicken, beef, bone broth, salmon and avocados.
Magnesium:
Magnesium is very important to your health and plays a large role in nerve and muscle function, sleep, heart beat regulation, and your immune system. On a keto or carnivore low-carb diet, you may require 400mg per day, or more if you exercise a lot. There are different types of magnesium out there so make sure to speak with your doctor about which form would be best for you. Best food sources for magnesium include fatty, cold-water fish, eggs, and avocados.
Drinking electrolytes throughout your day may be an easier and efficient solution at first. Look for electrolyte mixes that include high quality sources and enough of each mineral, no added sugar or color dyes and are free from the most common allergens. Start with half a serving in filtered water and once you become accustomed to the “salty” flavor, go ahead and increase to a full serving.
Not sure what to cook on a low-carb diet? Check out my recipes here.
Always consult your primary care physician before making any changes to your diet.
This blog is not to be used as medical advice or for making any lifestyle changes to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.